


Reclaim November

by SamCyberCat



Category: Free!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, HiyoIku Summer Weekends 2020, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24803569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCyberCat/pseuds/SamCyberCat
Summary: It's been a long time since Hiyori's revisited Kyoto, the city of his childhood. But with Ikuya by his side, he feels he can do anything.
Relationships: Kirishima Ikuya/Tono Hiyori
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	Reclaim November

**Author's Note:**

> For the HiyoIku Summer Weekends 2020 Event, using the June 19 prompt, Vacation. It's been a while since I've written any new fic, but I saw the event was coming up and wanted to contribute. So here's a short fic about feelings; hope you enjoy.

The air was warm, much more so than Hiyori expected it to be in November. It was quieter now, too. When they'd gotten off the train, the streets around the station had been busy, but as soon as they'd moved out of the shopping district and closer to the shrines, the crowds ebbed off. Certainly these shrines would be packed during the day, Hiyori remembered it well, but in the evening, they're as peaceful as they deserve to be. Hiyori prefers to walk here in the evening. Or preferred, rather. Since it he hadn't been here for a good few years now. Not since Ikuya had made him the happiest man alive by returning his affections and agreeing to go steady with him.

It wasn't as if Hiyori had fought with his family about the matter of dating another man. He doubted they'd even care, given that they hadn't cared about much else Hiyori had done. But his relationship with Ikuya marked the start of something new and became the push he needed to move on from a past he'd rather forget.

Which was why both of them had been surprised when Hiyori suggested Kyoto for a place to go for their winter vacation together. Ikuya had looked concerned, he'd asked Hiyori if he wanted to see his parents at last.

But Hiyori didn't want to see them, he wanted to reclaim Kyoto for himself.

No matter what else had happened in the past, Kyoto was his home. He'd grown up here and he knew these streets off by heart. At least... he had done. When they'd walked through the shopping district earlier, Hiyori had seen a lot of new places had opened up since his last visit. Yet there was something oddly comforting about that. It showed that Kyoto was changing just as much as he was. In small ways and at their own pace, both were changing.

Usually Ikuya would be at the forefront of Hiyori's attention, but Hiyori hadn't realised how long Ikuya had been watching him until the other spoke up.

“Are you all right? We can head back to the hotel if this is too much,” Ikuya said, concerned etched in his voice.

Hiyori snapped out of his thoughts, looking instead to Ikuya; the love of his life. Never did a day go by when Hiyori wasn't grateful of how loving and forgiving Ikuya had been to him.

“It's fine, this is nice,” he said, “I'm a little overwhelmed, but I want to do this. Thank you for agreeing to... all of it. I feel selfish, making our precious vacation all about me.”

Ikuya snorted, sliding his hand into Hiyori's; “How many times have you dropped everything to organise a trip to America for me? How many times have we gone to strange places because I wanted to? This is the first time you've wanted so much to go somewhere, that's not selfish.”

“I suppose not...”

Honestly, Hiyori felt that he was constantly checking himself for bad behaviour sometimes. It'd be a long time before he could fully shake off his mind's own accusations that he was selfish or awful, but Ikuya's support had helped. One day, Hiyori hoped to believe in himself that he was worthy of Ikuya, though he knew Ikuya would scold him if he said that out loud.

“So, how do you feel being here?” Ikuya asked. He didn't ask if Hiyori felt better or worse, leaving it open for Hiyori to answer however he chose.

“It's hard to say. I thought that we'd get here and I'd feel nothing, that was how I'd know that I'd moved on,” said Hiyori, “I don't feel nothing, but it's not as if I'm overcome with emotion either. I don't feel the urge to find my parents' house and beg for their forgiveness, anyway. I guess I just feel... a little numb, a little glad... a lot nostalgic. Maybe not good nostalgia.”

“Can nostalgia be bad?”

“I don't know. There's so many places that I missed going to, but I was always alone back then, so I don't miss that.”

The grip on his hand tightened.

“You're not alone now,” Ikuya reminded, “I want to go to all of those places with you. Let's make some new memories there. Ones that belong to us.”

Hiyori stopped at the gates of one of the shrines, which prompted Ikuya to stop as well. He looked at Ikuya and felt a rush of fondness. Ikuya's beauty was evident to all who saw him, but Ikuya's kindness and understanding were what mattered most. Both of them understood depression, they related to each other's struggles, but that was what made them stronger together. There had been times when Hiyori had told Ikuya he wasn't alone, but today it was Hiyori's turn to hear it.

“Thank you...”

The two of them pressed forward, lightly kissing in a rare public display of affection. They might not have normally been so bold, but it was dark and they were the only ones around, except for an opportunistic cat sitting outside the shrine, watching to see if they had any food. After a few moments, the cat decided that they didn't and wandered off to look for other tourists to try instead.

Hiyori and Ikuya broke apart soon after, standing quietly together for a while longer.

“...You're welcome,” Ikuya said at last, giggling as he saw that he'd brought Hiyori back down to earth when he'd spoke.

With that, Ikuya was the one who took Hiyori's hand and led them on. As long as they were together, they could do anything. Even reclaim Hiyori's sad, wonderful childhood city for himself.


End file.
